Clamping device



Feb. 21, 1950 F. F. KORTLUCKE, JR ETAL 2,493,372

CLAMPING DEVICE FiledOct. 4, 1946 EQEp g 10197211611515 INVENTORS g l thf. STELLWAGEM 4 PEA A TTORNEY Patented Feb. 21, 1950 CLAMPING DEVICEFrederick F. Kortlucke, Jr., and Frank W. Stellwagen, Kew Gardens, N. Y.

Application October 4, 1946, Serial No. 701,37;

6 Claims.

This invention relates to clamping devices, and more particularly tosuch devices for use in the surgical field as an umbilical cord clamp,and in other fields where the same type of holding action is desired.

Clamps heretofore devised for such purposes as clamping the umbilicalcord, have either been ineffective or too cumbersome to be applied withthe necessary facility. In other words, they have either required atleast two hands for their application, or, if made for one handapplication, have neither had suflicient clamping force, nor sufficientinsurance against accidental displacement, for the exacting requirementsof this use. The need for an effective clamp which can be simply appliedand will do the job properly, has particularly impressed itself upon -usthrough our knowledge of obstetrics. Not being able to find one thatproperly met the requirements, we set about devising one that would besuitabl and have succeeded in doing so as hereinafter described.

The clamp of our invention, though suitable for general application,will be described from the point of view of its use in the clamping ofumbilical cords, since such use is a most exacting one, and is believedto include at least all the factors that would be met in other uses towhich the clamp might be put. The limitations of the prior art clampshave precluded general surgical acceptance of clamps, as against thetime honored ligating technique, despite the long recognizedinconveniences and insecurity of that technique. Rarely would one haveboth hands available to operate a two handed clamp, while the singlehanded clamps of the prior art had various defects. They would not openwide enough to be easily applied, they had a closing action which tendedto force the cord out of the clamp, and, when closed, they did notmaintain sufficient sustained clamping action to be effective. Inaddition, the locking means on the prior art single handed clamps wereeither awkward to engage with one hand, or did not lock tight enough togive positive assurance that the clamp would not fly open. Finally, theremoval of the prior art clamps was often difficult, if they operated soas to clamp effectively, and they were difiicult to sterilize andparticularly to clean properly.

The clamp of our invention is believed to overcome the prior artdifiiculties and eliminate their shortcomings so completely, thatgeneral surgical acceptance of the clamps of our invention is clearlyindicated. Our clamp is of light weight construction and is so designedthat it can be applied with one hand, and without danger of laceratingth obstetricians gloves. It opens wide enough to be quickly andconveniently applied over cords of any of the sizes encountered. Ourclamp will not lacerate the cord, but still will enable the effectiveclamping of it without slippage. Considering the clamp as one to beapplied to cords of a range of different sizes, it is important to notethat the clamping action is not diminished, but rather the contrary, inpro-.- portion to the volume of material being clamped. Similarly, theholding power of the locking means of our clamp is increased, ratherthan diminished, in direct relation to the volume of the materialclamped. This locking means, however, can be readily disengaged with onehand, and the clamp, when opened up, can be easily cleaned andeffectively sterilized. Hence, it can be used over and over again, asprovided for by its sturdy, reliable construction. Other improvementsincorporated in our clamp will become apparent as thedetaileddescription of our invention unfolds.

It is accordingly a principal object of our invention to provide aclamp'of the type indicated, which can be easily and speedily applied,and will provide a reliable clamping action.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a clamp which can beeasily applied and. removed with one hand.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such a clamp whichmaintains a continuous pressure on the material clamped, and can belocked in place with a locking force which is increased in directrelation to the thickness of the material being clamped.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a clamp which is sosturdy and durable that it can be re-used any number of times, and is sosimple that it can be easily sterilized for such re-use.

Still further objects of the invention concern. the gradual, andincreasing flattening action, provided for in the closing of the clamp,the continuous pressure exerted by the clamp when closed, and theprevention against materials slipping out of the clamp as it is closed.

Other and more detailed objects of the invention will become apparent asthe description of the accompanyin drawing proceeds. In that drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the clamp 01" our invention, showingthe same in open position, with the inside face of the resilient armthereof visible.

Figure 2 is a similar view, looking from the opposite direction, to showthe inner face of the rigid arm of the clamp.

Figure 3 is a side elevation showing the clamp in full open position.

Figure 4 is another side elevation showing material within the clamp,and with the clamp approaching closed position.

Figure 5' is a view similar to Figure 4, but show ing the'clamp after ithas been fully closed and locked.

Figure 6 is a View similar to Figure 5 but illustrating the positiontaken by the arms and looking means of the clamp, when the same isclosed, and locked, without any material clamped therein, and

Figure '7 is a section taken on line 1'! of Figure 6 looking in thedirection of the arrows.

Considering the drawing in detail, it will be seen that the clamp of ourinvention consists of twoprincipal parts, or arms, as shown generally atI and 2 in the drawing. The body part of the arm I, as indicated at 3,is shown as substantially thicker, than the body part 4 of the arm 2.This showing is indicative of a rigid construction, as against theresilient one of the part 4'. Obviously, however, the relativethicknesses will vary in accordance with the characteristics of thematerials out of which the parts are made. Fundamentally the arm Ishould have its body part 3 made of rigid material sufiiciently thick toprevent its bending when material is secured in the clamp. The part 3terminates at one end in a somewhat rounded portion 5, and at its otherend in a hinge pintle '6. The pintle 6 extends throughout the width ofthe body part but is slightly offset from the longitudinal extentthereof, by means of inclined portion I.

' The inclined portion 1, as best shown in Figure l; is perforatedrectangularly centrally of its width, as seen at 8, to receive thetongue, or tab, 9 extending centrally from the free edge of the hingebarrel III provided at one end of the resilient arm 2. In the normalrel-axed position of the resilient arm 2, its body part 4 extendsdirectly into the beginning of the hinge barrel Ill, without any morethan the slight off-set shown at the joining portion I I. Nevertheless,the hinge barrel I0 embraces suflicient of the pintle 6 to furnish astrong bearing relationship. The extent of the surface of the pintle 6engaged by the barrel I0 isneces'sarily limited so that the arm 2 canswing out at approximately a 90 angle with respect to the arm -I beforethe free edge I2 of the barrel I0 engages the portion 1. wide opening ofthe clamp is a substantial improvement over prior art constructions. Itgreatly facilitates the application of the clamp to an umbilical cord,or to any other material being clamped therein, enables the clamp to beeasily applied with one hand and enables the removal of the clamp inlike manner.

. Considering the showing in Figures 1, 2 and 3, it will be clearlyapparent therefrom that the body part 4 of the resilient arm 2 is bowedinwardly, i. e. towards the arm I, longitudinally thereof. This inwardbowing is in the form of asmooth, though somewhat fiat, curve fromportion I I to the opposite extent I3 of the part 4. This bowingenhances the spring action of the arm 2, since it must be overcome tothe extent of flattening the part 4 even though the clamp isclosed whenempty, as shown in Figure 6. The reversingof the curve of this bowingwhen material of substantial thickness is to be secured, being againstthe natural set of the spring arm, creates a reaction in the spring.This reaction causes a continuous pressure to be exerted on the materialsecured in the clamp. Thus, if the material in the clamp dries out andshrinks, the spring arm 2 will follow it and continue to press itagainst the arm I.

The cantilever means for locking the free ends of the clamp togetheris'shown generally at I4. This locking means commences at the terminalend I3 of the body part 4, Where the portion I5 extends generallylaterally from said body. The portion I5 extends some distance away fromthe body 4 and terminates in an inward curl I 6 which is directed backtowards that body. The flexibility of the portion I5 and of the curl II; enables the locking means to be snapped into closed, lockingposition. That position is well maintained, for the position and radiusof the curl I6 are such that its innermost extent well overlies part ofthe body portion 3, inward of the end 5. Hence the actual engagement ofthe curl I6 with the body portion 3 takes place at the position I'I,well around beyond the innermost extent of that curl. Strong resistanceis accordingly set up to any unintentional disengagement of the, lockingmeans.

The position II shifts downward along the curl I6 as increasingthicknesses of material are secured in the clamp. This is due to thefact that as the body part 4 is bowed outwardly in reponse to materialheld in theclamp, the arm I5 is tilted inwardly with respect to the end5 of the body 3.

Hence the curl I6 creeps-further over the upper surface of the body 3and the engaging position I! is further under the curl. Clearly the morethe curl I6 overlies the body 3 the more secure will be the lockingaction of the member I4. This feature is illustrated by the differentlocations of the line I! in Figures 5 and 6 and by the angle of inwardtilt of I5 shown diagrammatically in Figure 5.

Intentional disengagement of the locking means I 4 can easily beaccomplished with one hand by merely pushing outward on the curl I6.Once this curl is pushed outward far enough for its inner-most face toclear the outer-most portion of the face 5, the clamp will normallyspring itself open through the tendency of the body 4 to resume itsoriginal inwardly bowed shape.

A clamp having the gripping characteristics just described, would beeffective for most clamping voperations, even though the inner surfacesof the arms I and 2 were perfectly plain and smooth. In the clamping ofumbilical cords, however, one is dealing with slippery, jelly-filledmembers, which may vary in diameter from onefourth of an inch to oneinch. Being so constituted, the cords have a tendency to slide orsqueeze out of the clamp, as the clamp is closed, or at least to squeezedown into position where part of the cord extends out the open end andblocks the action of the locking member. This undesirable possibility isguarded against in the clamp of our invention, by particular formationsapplied to the opposing faces of the arms I and 2. The inside of the armI is formed with a center channel IB extending throughout the length ofits body 3 and separating the inner face of that body into portions I 9and 20. The portions I9 and. '20 have their outer faces serratedtransversely throughout their length with means such as surgical teeth,or have them provided with a medium knurl. Hence, the edging of thechannel I8 prevents transverse slippage of the cord while longitudinalslippageis guarded .against by the facing of portions [9 and 20.

The inner surface of the body portion 4 is formed to cooperate with theformations on the inner face of the body 3 just described. As a generalsafegard that surface is knurled or otherwise vuniformly roughened asshown at 2i, to cooperate with the serrations on the portions l9 and 20.As a special feature to catch and hold umbilical cords, .however, theinner surface of the arm 2 is also provided .with one or more upstandingprojections 22. These projections are aligned with the channel I8 formedin the arm I and are of a size to fit within it. No matter how slipperythe cord, the action of the projections 22 pressing into it, and in turnforcing portions of it into the channel I8, is just what is needed tohold the cord from tending to slip out of the clamp, while the same isbeing closed. Here again, is additional assurance that the clamp can beeffectively applied with one hand by a straight forward squeezingaction.

From the foregoing description of the structure and operation of theclamp of our invention, its adaptability to a variety of clampingoperations will be readily appreciated. A description of it, as relatedto the clamping of umbilical cords, is believed to show its adequacy formeeting the most severe tests, such cords being extremely slippery onthe outside, being filled with a jellylike substance, and being readilysubject to fracture and abrasion. Furthermore, they must clampeffectively when applied and maintain their effectiveness as long asthey remain on. Inasmuch as the clamp of the invention meets all of therequirements in this exacting field, it is believed obvious that the useof it in less critical situations is clearly indicated. Furthermore,though we have merely shown and described a preferred example of theinvention it is to be understood that such changes in detail as mayoccur to one skilled in the art may be resorted to without departingfrom the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims whichfollow.

Having described our invention what we claim as new and desire to obtainLetters Patent for is:

1. A clamp of the character described, comprising a pair of overlyingarms, one of said arms being rigid and non-yielding, and the other ofsaid arms being resilient, one of said arms being bowed toward the otherarm longitudinally thereof, means connecting said pair of arms togetherat one end thereof, and means carried by said resilient arm toreleaseably inter-engage said arms at the other end thereof saidinter-engaging means including a laterally extending projection on saidother end of said resilient arm, said projection extending towards saidrigid arm, said projection terminating in an inwardly extendingresilient element, said resilient element engaging the free side of theother end of said rigid arm when the clamp is in closed position.

2. A clamp of the character described, comprising a pair of elongatedmembers arranged to overlie each other longitudinally, pivotal meansinter-engaging a pair of ends of said respective members, one of saidmembers being rigid and non-yielding, the other of said members beinglonger than said rigid member and being resilient and bowed concavelythroughout its length toward said rigid member, and an integralresilient catch extending from the free end of said resilient member toengage the free end of said rigid member past the longitudinal centerline thereof when said resilient member is flattened out against saidrigid member, whereby as the effective length of said resilient memberis decreased on outward bowing thereof said catch will en age said rigidmember further beyond said longitudinal center line and the holdingpower of said catch will thus be increased.

3. A clamp of the character described comprising, a pair of overlyingarms, one pair of ends of said arms being hinged together for swingablemovement of the arms towards and away from each other, one of said armsbeing thick and rigid, the other of said arms being formed of resilientmaterial, said resilient arm being bowed throughout its length towardssaid rigid ar-m, said resilient arm being longer than said rigid arm andbeing formed on its free end with a laterally extending clip to receiveand overlie the free end of said rigid arm, said laterally extendin clipineluding an inwardly curled resilient portion, said resilient portionterminating in aposition spaced from the body of said resilientar-m to asufiicient extent to partially overlie the end of said rigid arm whensaid catch is in closed position.

4. A clamp of'the character described, comprising a pair of elongatedmembers, one of said members being formed of rigid, non-yieldingmaterial, the other of said members being formed of resilient material,hinge means connecting the inner end of said rigid member with the innerend of said resilient member together to provide swinging movement ofsaid members toward and away from each other, said resilient memberbeing longer that said rigid member and when in relaxed position beingbowed throughout its length toward said rigid member, a catch element onthe outer end of said resilient member, said catch element extendingaway from said resilient member in the same direction as the bowtherein, said catch element including an upstanding base portion and aninturned resilient curled portion, the inner end of said curled portionbeing spaced from the body of said resilient member a slightly shorterdistance than the thickness of said rigid member, said catch member,when said resilient member is straightened out overlying the end of saidrigid member and said curled portion extending over the remote inneredge of the outer end of said rigid member, whereby as the bowing ofsaid rigid member is reversed due to the clamping of material betweensaid rigid and resilient members, said ourl will creep further aroundthe free end of said rigid member to increase the clamping effect ofsaid catch member.

5. In a clamp of the character described, a pair of elongated arms, oneof said arms being rigid and the other being resilient, one end of eachof said arms being hinged together so that said arms will swing towardand away from each other, said resilient arm when in relaxed positionbeing bowed longitudinally toward said rigid arm, a laterally extendingprojection on the free end of said resilient arm and terminating in aninwardly extending resilient deformable portion, said laterallyextending projection being formed to embrace the free end of said rigidarm and said laterally extending projection inclining progressivelyinwardly toward the hinged ends of said arms as said resilient arm ischanged from a bowing towards said resilient arm to a bowing awaytherefrom. I

6. A clamp of the character described comprising, a pair of overlyingarms, one of said arms being rigid and the other being resilient, andone end of each of said arms being hinged together so that they mayswing toward and away from each other, said resilient arm beingsubstantially longer than said rigid arm and when in relaxed positionbeing longitudinally bowed toward said rigid arm, an automaticallyoperalble resilient latch on the free end of said resilient arm, saidlatch including a portion extending towards said rigid arm and aresilient curled portion at the end'of said extending portion, saidcurled portion extending in the direction of said hinge, said curledportion being spaced from the body of said resilient arm a sufficientdistance to receive the free end of said rigid arm therebetween, said"curled'portion approaching said hinged end as said resilient portion isstraightened out and bowed reversely whereby the inclusionof materialbetween said rigid arm and said resilient arm will increase-the holdingaction of said curled portion in relation to the outward bowing of saidresilient arm caused by such material.

-' FREDERICK F. KORTLUCKE, JR.

' FRANK W.=STEI |LWAGEN.

. ,7 8 it REFERENCES CI'TED The following references are of record inthe file of this patent:

Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,498,372 February 21, 1950FREDERICK F. KORTLUCKE, JR., ET AL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Columnfi, line 33, for the words longer that read longer than;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correctiontherein that the sarn ffiay conform to the record of the case in thePatent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 20th day of June, A. D. 1950-.

[SEAL] THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Uommz'ssz'oner of Patents.

